Revenge
by natefan
Summary: SMK/RS crossover. Mainly SMK. I don’t want to spoil it! Read it yourself!


Title: Revenge  
  
Author: mandystetson  
  
Rating: PG (more like G, but sort of PG-ish)  
  
Timeline: After end of fourth season  
  
Summary: SMK/RS crossover. I don't want to spoil it! Read it yourself!  
  
Author's notes: All secrets are still secrets  
  
******************SMK*****SMK*****SMK****************  
  
  
  
It was November 9, 1987, Lee Stetson went downstairs to get a midnight snack. He was having trouble sleeping, and was trying to pass the time. Dotty and the boys had gone on a camping trip, and Amanda had the house to herself. Since Lee and she were trying to keep their marriage a secret, they had to switch houses often. That week, Lee lived with her at the King house.  
  
He searched through the refrigerator, and finally decided on a warm glass of milk. While he was drinking his milk, he heard footsteps from behind.  
  
"Amanda? Is that you?" he said, turning his head to find no one. He continued drinking his milk, hurrying to get back in bed.  
  
Suddenly, a tall figure quietly sneaked up behind him and hit him hard on the head. The glass of milk hit the floor and shattered with a loud crash. The figure hit Lee once more, and he fell to the floor, all in a matter of seconds.  
  
*****************SMK*****SMK*****SMK******************  
  
  
  
Back in the bedroom, the shattering glass woke Amanda. She sleepily rolled over to see if the noise had also awoken Lee, but was surprised when he wasn't there. She thought that he had probably gone downstairs for a midnight snack. She decided to go downstairs and check on him.  
  
She found him sprawled on the floor with a big gash on the left side of his forehead. "Oh my gosh! Lee, wake up!" she cried frantically. She calmed herself down, and quickly dialed 911. Minutes later, the ambulance arrived.  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Friday, 2:45 am Eastern time  
  
Amanda was pacing the waiting room floor, thousand of thoughts flying through her mind. What would happen to Lee? What would she tell her mother and the boys? She couldn't concentrate at the time. She kept telling herself to calm down, but she couldn't.  
  
Just then, Doctor Ben Roselli walked into the room. Amanda rushed to speak to him. "How is he, Doctor?" she asked him.  
  
"Well, first I'll say he's lucky to be alive. He is unconscious, and has severe neck injuries. Other than that, we won't know until he wakes up," Dr. Roselli informed her.  
  
"May I see him now?"  
  
"Of course, Mrs. Stetson. ICU, Room 4," he said. At that time, Dr. Roselli was the only other person that knew of their marriage. "I'll be in to check on him soon."  
  
"Thank you," she said, making her way to his room. What she found wasn't at all a very pleasant sight. Tears formed in her eyes. Lee looked so helpless lying there hooked up to all of the medical equipment. She had never seen him this way, and she didn't know what to think. She sat in the chair next to the bed, and sighed deeply. She reached out to hold his limp hand, and grasped it tightly.  
  
"Lee, it's me. I know that you probably can't hear me, but I want for you to know that you'll make it through this. Whatever happened last night, we may never know," she said softly. "As usual, I'm wondering what to tell Mother and the boys, but we won't worry about that. I guess it's about time for us to tell them the truth."  
  
There was a soft knock at the door, and Dr. Roselli peeked in. "I hate to disturb you, but we need to come in."  
  
"Okay. Just a minute," she said. He nodded and shut the door. "But whatever happens, I love you, Lee Stetson." She got up, and leaned over to kiss his motionless lips. She lightly caressed his face, brushing back a few strands of hair in his face with her fingers. She knew she should probably go, and so she left to let Dr. Roselli in his room.  
  
As she walked down the hall, she decided to make a phone call. She walked to the pay phone outside the waiting room and called the number that her mother had given her. She got the campground office, and left a message for her to come to Washington Memorial Hospital as soon as possible. Then she thought she'd go to the cafeteria and get some coffee.  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Friday 10:55 am Eastern time  
  
"Are you Mrs. Amanda King?" a nurse asked her in the ICU waiting room. Amanda nodded. "There are some people here to see you."  
  
"Mother?" Amanda wondered aloud. A frantic Dotty walked around the corner, followed by Philip and Jamie.  
  
"Amanda! You're alright! Explain what you're doing here, I haven't been told anything! I get some message at the campground that I need to come to Washington Memorial Hospital as soon as possible, and I don't know what to think!" Dotty cried.  
  
"Mother, calm down. You know Mr. Stetson that I work with?"  
  
"Oh you mean Lee," Dotty said.  
  
"Lee. He was in a terrible car accident," Amanda lied. She had to say something.  
  
"It's bad isn't it," Philip said nervously.  
  
"He's unconscious," she said. "The doctor said he's lucky to be alive."  
  
"May we see him, Mom?" Jamie asked her.  
  
"Sure, Sweetheart," she replied. "They only let two in at a time, so Mother, you and Philip can go in, and Jamie and I will talk about the camping trip."  
  
  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Sunday, 7:30 pm Eastern time  
  
Amanda had made arrangements for Dotty and the boys to stay with their aunt, who was Dotty's sister, Lillian. She was sitting in Lee's room looking at a magazine when Dr. Roselli walked in to talk to her while he had some time on his hands.  
  
"How are you doing, Mrs. Stetson?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, fine. Dr. Roselli, I've been getting what I think is probably signs of pregnancy," she told him.  
  
"If you'd like, I could run a pregnancy test," he offered. "We could do that..."  
  
Suddenly, the EKG's beeping sped up. Seconds later, she was forced to leave the room, to make room for hospital staff.  
  
"Code Blue, Room 4, ICU," was heard over the intercom system. Amanda watched with horror through the window at what was going on inside Lee's room.  
  
After much work, they finally got his heart rate back to normal. Dr. Roselli came in the waiting room to update her on what had just taken place.  
  
"Well, just we thought he was getting better, we almost lost him," he said.  
  
"How is he now?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Better," Dr. Roselli sighed. "I might as well tell you the truth. I'm afraid he only has a 50% chance of living through this. I'd appreciate it if one of you would contact the rest of the family and close friends, please. Oh, I think I have enough time to run that test, if you feel like it."  
  
"Sure," she sighed, hoping that it would help to get her mind off of Lee's life-threatening situation for a while.  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Monday, 8:30 am Eastern time  
  
  
  
Amanda took the doctor's advice and called Billy on the phone.  
  
"Melrose here," he answered.  
  
"Sir, it's me, Amanda. Someone tried to kill Lee a couple of nights ago, he was knocked unconscious, and he's in the hospital now. They don't think he's gonna make it," she said. "You need to come quickly."  
  
"I'll come as soon as possible, Amanda," he said. " Where are you?"  
  
"Washington Memorial Hospital, Room 4, ICU," she informed him.  
  
"I'm on my way," he said, hanging up.  
  
Amanda stood silently, wondering who to call next. Emily Farnsworth was the first person that she thought of. Emily had given her a number for emergencies. Since Emily was in England, the number would be long-distance, so she decided to keep the conversation short. She dialed the number, and told her basically the same that she had previously told Billy. Emily said that she would try to come as soon as she could, which would probably be in a couple of days.  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Wednesday, 9:45 am Eastern time  
  
  
  
Billy walked into the waiting room where Amanda was for the third time since the her phone call.  
  
"How are you doing, Amanda?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, I'm fine." she said. "Would you like to go inside Lee's room?"  
  
"Sure," he said calmly. As they walked inside his room, Billy sighed once again at the sight in front of them. "Amanda..."  
  
He was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. "Come in," Amanda said. The door opened to reveal Emily Farnsworth.  
  
"Oh, Amanda how nice to see you again," Emily said. "But what a terrible thing to bring us together. Any new developments since you called me?"  
  
"Thank you for coming, Emily. And no, he's just been the same since..." she started. Again, there was a knock at the door. "Come in." The door opened, and Dr. Roselli walked in.  
  
"Excuse me, Mrs. Stetson," he said. At this, large smile grew on Emily's face, and Billy chuckled to himself. "But the test results came back. May I speak to you, in my office?"  
  
"Certainly," she said uncomfortably. "I'll explain later," she mouthed to Emily and Billy. Then she followed Dr. Roselli to his office.  
  
"Sit down," he said, motioning towards the seat in front of desk. He sat in the large swivel chair at the desk, and folded his arms across his chest. "The pregnancy test came back positive."  
  
"So, I'm pregnant," she said nervously. She wasn't sure what to think.  
  
"Yes," he said. "Of course, it's way too early to determine the gender of the baby. This is not your first child, am I correct?"  
  
"Uh, no. Third," she said. "I think I should probably go back to Lee's room now." He nodded, and she left the room, walking down the hall wondering how they would react to the news.  
  
"Glad you decided to rejoin us, Mrs. Stetson," Emily said with a laugh. "I don't suppose that this is some sort of undercover operation, is it?"  
  
"No, it isn't," she said smiling.  
  
"I knew you two would eventually tie the knot! So how long have you been married?" Billy asked.  
  
"It will be exactly one year in February," Amanda informed them. "I guess you should know what Dr. Roselli came to tell me." There was a long pause before she spoke again. "I'm pregnant."  
  
"Well, Amanda..." Emily started.  
  
"Well, well, well. If it's not the housewife turned spy," a voice from behind said. They turned to find Dr. Austin Smyth puffing his cigarette. "I came as soon as I heard. You have my deepest sympathy, Mrs. King."  
  
"I don't believe we've met," Emily said. "I'm Emily Farnsworth. And you are?"  
  
"Austin Smyth," he said coldly. "And I'm also leaving. I didn't intend on taking hours from my incredibly busy schedule to visit the sick and dying. I'll stop by some other time, if I get the chance. Ciao." He left the room, still smoking his cigarette.  
  
"That man disgusts me," Billy said. "I probably should be getting back to the agency, but I hate to leave you. I'll ask again. Are you sure there is nothing I can do to help you? Be honest, Amanda."  
  
"I actually need to run home and get a few things. Would either of you mind staying for a while so I can get my things? I mean, I hate to do this..."  
  
"Amanda, please. I'll stay. I certainly don't mind. I'm sure it's very hard and stressful for you to pace these floors not knowing what will happen the next minute. It would do you some good to get out of this place for a while. Take as long as you need, I don't mind," Emily said.  
  
"Thank you so much, Emily," she told her, giving her a hug. "Sir, thank you so much for coming."  
  
She hugged him also, and he said quietly, "Keep me posted. If you need anything, I'm sure Francine won't mind being boss for a while. In fact, she'd probably enjoy it," he laughed.  
  
"Thanks, Billy," said Amanda. Billy left, and Amanda stayed and talked to Emily for a few minutes.  
  
"Now you're sure you don't mind," Amanda said.  
  
"I don't mind, I'm sure," Emily said flatly. "Take all the time you need. Take a shower, change clothes, clean the house, whatever you need to do, I'll be here."  
  
"Thank you," she said, grabbing her purse.  
  
  
  
4247 Maplewood Drive  
  
Wednesday, 4:15 pm Eastern time  
  
Amanda unlocked the front door of her house. It seemed like a hundred years ago when she had found Lee unconscious. She went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Expecting to find the place exactly the was they had left it. Instead, the glass and milk was swept up, and there wasn't even the smell of spoiled milk. Someone had obviously cleaned up the mess.  
  
She tried not to notice it, and went on about her business. She took a shower and changed her clothes, and gathered up a few personal items. On her way out, she thought she would call Billy and ask him if he had sent agents over to investigate.  
  
"I knew that the Agency worked fast, but I didn't know they worked that fast," she said into the phone.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You mean you didn't send agents over to investigate the crime scene?" Amanda asked confused.  
  
"No, of course not. What was he doing at your house anyway?" he asked. "Then again, maybe I don't want to know. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, when I found him there was shattered glass and spilled milk on the floor. I came to get some things and found my kitchen clean. I figured that you had sent agents to gather evidence," she told him.  
  
"No. I thought that he was at his apartment. Although, I haven't sent anyone over yet," Billy informed her. "I was wondering. Do you want to begin an investigation?"  
  
"I hold nothing against the Agency, Sir, but I would rather hire someone else."  
  
"You mean like a private investigator?"  
  
"Yes, Emily and I were discussing that at the hospital a while ago. But I assure you, since I am an employee of the Agency, I don't hold anything against the rest of you."  
  
"I understand. I think I would do the same if I were in your situation. May I suggest something? I know a private investigator who you could consider."  
  
"Who is that?"  
  
"Remington Steele. I met him once, and I've read many good things about him. I think that he would be a good choice."  
  
"I think I heard Mother saying something about him once. Something about his 'flawless reputation'. Isn't he in Los Angeles, though?"  
  
"Well, yes. But they've traveled to the Middle East, Ireland, England, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. I'm sure they'd take the case. I could go..."  
  
"Now you just hold on. You will not fly all the way to LA and leave Francine in charge," she interrupted. "I'll go, and ask Mother to stay at the hospital."  
  
"Alright," he said. "Uh-oh. Here comes Dr. Smyth. Goodbye."  
  
"Bye," she said, hanging up the phone. She hurried to the Corvette, putting her things in the trunk and heading back to the hospital.  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Wednesday, 4:52 pm Eastern time  
  
"So you're going to hire Remington Steele to investigate. Good choice, Amanda. I've heard many good things about him," Emily told her. "Do you want me to go for you? Or do you want for me to stay here at the hospital while you go?"  
  
"No, Emily...."  
  
"No Amanda, you listen to me. If you don't let me help you, I'll leave here feeling terribly guilty. Whatever you decide to do, I'll help you. You've helped me many times in the past, so now it's my turn."  
  
"Okay," she sighed. "If you're gonna be that way about it, then I'll fly to Los Angeles, and you can come with so I won't have to go alone. I'll get Mother to stay here at the hospital. I'll pay for your plane ticket."  
  
"No you won't! And I'll be honored to accompany you," Emily said.  
  
"Thank you, again. I don't know what I'd do without you," Amanda laughed. "I need to make arrangements so that we can leave as soon as possible."  
  
Dulles International Airport  
  
Thursday, 7:30 am Eastern time  
  
Emily and Amanda were waiting in a terminal for their flight to be called.  
  
"I hate to leave Lee," Amanda said.  
  
"I know. But we're only going to be gone for a day," Emily told her.  
  
"Yeah. So..."  
  
"Flight 32 for Los Angeles, now boarding. Flight 32 for Los Angeles, now boarding," came over the intercom.  
  
"That's us," Emily said, getting up out her chair.  
  
********************SMK*****SMK*****SMK**********************  
  
  
  
After a few hours of flying, they landed at the airport in Los Angeles. In a taxi, they rode to where Remington Steele Investigations was located.  
  
"Thank you," Amanda told the taxi driver. "How much?"  
  
"Ten dollars," he said. She handed him the money. "Thanks."  
  
Emily and Amanda climbed out of the taxi, and walked into the tall building. In the lobby, there were several elevators. Beside one was a directory of the building, telling which suite the offices were in.  
  
Remington Steele Investigations, Suite 1041  
  
They got into the elevator, and went to the tenth floor, which was miraculously the right floor. When they got off, they walked down the hall, passing several offices, and finally reached two glass doors with Remington Steele Investigations painted on them. They went inside to find a waiting area with a sofa and chairs, several doors leading to offices, and a desk to their right.  
  
Seated at the desk was an older woman, with puffy blonde hair. There was a sign on the desk that read 'Mildred Krebs'.  
  
"May I help you?" she asked.  
  
"Yes. Is Mister Steele in?" Emily asked her.  
  
"Yes ma'am. I suppose you'd like to see him," Mildred said. "Right through that red door. Don't bother to knock." She pointed her finger the door nearest to them.  
  
"Thank you," Amanda said.  
  
They followed Mildred's directions. When they opened the door, they found two feet propped up on the table, and hands holding the latest edition of the Los Angeles Tribune.  
  
"Excuse me, but are you Remington Steele," Emily asked.  
  
"Hmm?" the man pulled the newspaper down. "Ah, yes. I'm Remington Steele." The quite attractive man folded his newspaper up and laid it on his desk, and took his feet off of the desk. "And you are?"  
  
"Emily Farnsworth."  
  
"Amanda...Stetson," she said, unsure of what to say.  
  
"Pleasure," he said. "How may I help you?"  
  
"Well, someone tried to kill my husband," Amanda told the detective. "He's unconscious, still, and is in Washington Memorial Hospital."  
  
"You mean you came all the way from Washington, D.C.?" he asked, a grin growing on his face. "I'm flattered."  
  
"We had heard many good things about you, that's why we made the trip across the US," Emily explained.  
  
"Oh really," he said. "Continue your story, Mrs. Stetson."  
  
"I'll start from the beginning. A loud crash from downstairs woke me up. I figured that he had gone down to get a midnight snack, and I found him, sprawled on the floor. There was also shattered glass on the floor, and milk," Amanda told him. "I dialed 911, and he was rushed to the hospital. Yesterday, I went home for the first time since all of the excitement, and found that someone had been there and cleaned up the mess."  
  
"You're sure no one had stopped by?" Mr. Steele asked.  
  
"Positive. My mother and my oldest son, Philip, are the only other people with keys to the house. And I locked the door when I left. My mother and my sons were on a camping trip, therefore they wouldn't have had time to stop in," she informed him.  
  
"Hmm. Strange," he said.  
  
"So will you take the case?" Emily wanted to know.  
  
"I'll have to talk it over with my associate, Laura Holt. Unfortunately, she's not in right now. She's on her lunch break. Have you already eaten?"  
  
"Well, no..." Amanda started.  
  
"Why don't you go get some lunch, and while you're gone, I can talk it over with Miss Holt. You can come back and see what she says, although I feel sure that she will take it."  
  
"Good. We'll come back at about one thirty," Emily said.  
  
"That should give us enough time. I look forward to seeing you again," he said.  
  
****************SMK*****RS*****SMK*****RS**************  
  
They had gone back to see what he had to say. Laura had been very anxious to speak to them. They told her the same that they had told Remington, and they said that they would have to take the case. They would fly back to DC with them the next day.  
  
While on the plane, Amanda explained that they were keeping their marriage a secret to the public, but she didn't tell that they were spies. She said simply that her mother wouldn't approve, but they had fallen madly in love, and had secretly married.  
  
4247 Maplewood Drive  
  
Friday, 4:45 pm Eastern time  
  
"So, this is where you found him," Laura Holt said, examining the kitchen floor.  
  
"Yes. Right here in front of the refrigerator," Amanda said.  
  
"Well, here is some proof that the glass was here," Laura said, standing up from her squatting position. She held a small sliver of glass in her hand. "See? It's part of a drinking glass. Right in front of the refrigerator. That proves that you were telling the truth."  
  
"You mean you didn't think I was telling the truth?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Well, we have to take that chance. Considering you were the only witness, you could easily be suspected," Laura said.  
  
"You're right. I didn't even think about that," Amanda said.  
  
"That looks like about it," said Remington. "I guess..."  
  
"Wait a minute! I just thought of something. When I was talking to Billy on Monday, he said something about 'thinking that the crime had taken place at Lee's apartment'. Maybe we should check there," Amanda told them.  
  
"Hold it. Who's Billy?" Remington inquired.  
  
"My boss. I work for IFF, a documentary film company," Amanda informed them.  
  
"So what you mean is something like this: The attempted murderer could have tried to kill Lee here, and moved the evidence to Lee's apartment, to make it look as if he was almost killed at his home, and not yours," Laura said. "Why would he..."  
  
"Or she," Emily added.  
  
"Or she do that?" Laura asked.  
  
"I don't know. But I have a strong feeling that we should check out Lee's apartment," Amanda said.  
  
Lee's Apartment  
  
Friday, 5:05 pm Eastern time  
  
Amanda used her key to unlock the front door. The four of them went inside, and shut the door.  
  
"Let's check the kitchen," Laura said.  
  
When they went into the kitchen, they found just what they had suspected. There was a broken glass on the floor in a puddle of milk. Nearby lay a rolling pin with blood on it.  
  
"Could this be the weapon used to knock Lee out?" Remington suggested.  
  
"Probably. Amanda? Did you see this at your house?" Laura inquired.  
  
"No. I guess that's Lee's," Amanda answered.  
  
"He has a rolling pin?" Emily asked her quietly.  
  
"I know, it sounds funny for a man like him to have a rolling pin," she said.  
  
"We can take this rolling pin and test it for fingerprints, although the culprit was probably wearing gloves," Laura told them. Using a paper towel, she picked up the rolling pin and put it in a plastic bag. "I have a fingerprinting kit. I'll test it when we get back to your house." Laura and Remington were staying in Amanda's house, since Dotty and the boys weren't.  
  
"You said you also lived here part-time?" Remington asked Amanda.  
  
"Well, yes. Like I told you on the plane, we couldn't reveal our secret to my mother or my boys," Amanda said.  
  
"Your boys. From a previous marriage, I assume," Remington said.  
  
"Yes, I was married to Joe King, but we divorced in '82," she told him.  
  
"Just a thought, but would your ex-husband, Joe, do anything like this?" he asked.  
  
"No! Joe would never hurt anyone," Amanda said. "You can count him off the suspect list."  
  
"Was there anyone that doesn't like Lee?" Laura questioned her.  
  
'Lots of people' she thought to herself. "Let's see. Mainly Dr. Smyth. He called us both traitors. Then there are people that could do it out of jealously. Like Francine, not that she would take it that far. Besides, she's jealous of me, not Lee."  
  
"Could this Francine person have intended to kill you? Or perhaps she could have tried to kill Lee to hurt you," Remington said.  
  
"I don't think so. Francine wouldn't do something like that, I'm sure. Well, almost sure," Amanda said.  
  
"But, Francine never came to the hospital. And you just said that while you were at the hospital someone must have come by and moved the glass. Since Francine never showed up, that makes her a little suspicious," Emily added.  
  
"Dr. Smyth did eventually come to the hospital," said Amanda.  
  
"I think that we better have a little talk with some people," Laura said. "And see if we can get a few alibis."  
  
"I can call Francine," Amanda volunteered. "I think that would be better than seeing her in person right now."  
  
"Alright," Remington sighed.  
  
Amanda dialed the agency number.  
  
"International Federal Film," a female voice answered.  
  
"Francine Desmond, please."  
  
"Whom should I say is calling?"  
  
"Amanda King."  
  
"Please hold."  
  
After a few seconds, Francine answered. "Amanda?"  
  
"Hello, Francine."  
  
"Where are you? I haven't seen you or Lee around here in days!"  
  
"You mean you don't know?"  
  
"Don't know? Don't know what? What's going on?"  
  
"Someone tried to kill Lee. He's in Washington Memorial Hospital as we speak."  
  
"Oh, Amanda! I didn't know! How come no one told me?"  
  
"I don't know, Francine."  
  
"I'm coming over, right now. What room are you in?"  
  
"Room 4, ICU. But I'm not there right now. I'm about to leave though," Amanda said, motioning for them to get in the car, and mouthing that she'd 'be there in a minute'. "Okay, Francine. I'll be there as soon as possible." She hung up the phone, and raced out the door, making sure to lock it.  
  
"Alright, Mista Steele is going with you to the hospital, and Emily and I are going back to your house to test the fingerprints on the rolling pin," Laura said.  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Friday, 7:15 pm Eastern time  
  
  
  
Amanda and Remington walked down the hallway, slowly approaching Lee's room. About halfway down, Dr. Roselli quickly walked to them.  
  
"Mrs. Stetson, I have some unbelievable news!"  
  
"What? What is it?" Amanda asked.  
  
"I tried to phone you, but I didn't get an answer. Your husband woke up!" he said excitedly.  
  
Amanda's heart skipped a beat, and then sped up. "Thank you, Dr. Roselli! May I see him?"  
  
"Of course," he said. "But, there's something I should..."  
  
Amanda didn't hear his last few words. She walked on to the room, followed by Remington. She opened the door to find Lee actually sitting up in bed. "Who is it?" he asked.  
  
Amanda's excitement faded. "It's me, Amanda." She walked to his bed, and Remington sat in the chair. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"I've felt better, that's for sure. Although, you coming has improved my condition greatly," he said with a weak smile. "Amanda, Dr. Roselli says that the blow to the head has caused me to go temporarily blind."  
  
"That's probably what he wanted to tell you," Remington murmured.  
  
"Amanda, is there someone here with you?" Lee asked.  
  
"Yes, Remington Steele. He's a private..."  
  
"I know who Remington Steele is, Amanda," Lee said.  
  
"Pleasure to meet you," Remington said.  
  
"You too," said Lee. "What made you come all the way from LA to see me? That I'm incredibly anxious to know."  
  
"Well, Lee, I hired Mr. Steele to investigate..."  
  
"Hold it. Investigate what?"  
  
"Someone tried to kill you," Remington said. "Don't you remember?"  
  
"The last thing I remember is hearing footsteps. That's it," Lee said. "Tell me what you've found out so far."  
  
There was a knock at the door. "Come in," Lee said. Francine opened the door and came in. She had a shocked expression on her face.  
  
"Lee! You're awake," Francine said.  
  
"Yeah, Francine."  
  
"How are you doing?"  
  
"Well, like I was telling Amanda, I've felt better."  
  
"I can understand that," Francine said, just now noticing Remington. "Hey, what is Remington Steele doing here?"  
  
"I hired him to investigate," Amanda said.  
  
"I'm Francine Desmond," she introduced herself.  
  
"How nice to meet you, Miss Desmond," he said.  
  
"Call me Francine. What have you found out so far?"  
  
"Well, someone moved the broken glass to Lee's apartment," Remington said. Amanda shook her head, referring to the fact that she didn't know that they were married. "That's all we can tell so far."  
  
"I just came to check on you, Lee," Francine said. "I really need to get back to work."  
  
"Okay. Thank you for stopping by," Lee said.  
  
"Bye," she said, leaving.  
  
"Now I can tell you what we know so far," Remington said.  
  
"I went home to get some things, and I found that someone had cleaned up your broken glass and spilled milk."  
  
"What broken glass and spilled milk?"  
  
"Your midnight snack. Anyway, Billy told me that he thought that I found you in the apartment. We went over to the apartment and found your rolling pin with blood on it. Laura is checking it for fingerprints right now. And the same shattered glass," Amanda said.  
  
"I don't own a rolling pin," Lee told them.  
  
"Well, it wasn't mine," she said.  
  
"The culprit probably bought one, and put blood on it," said Remington. "Excuse me for a moment." He got up and left them alone.  
  
"When I talked to Francine on the phone earlier, she said that she hadn't seen us at the agency for days and wondered what had happened to us. That means she was at the agency all of the days we weren't. I can find out for sure if that's true. Now it's nighttime that she could have gone in," Amanda suggested.  
  
"Are you saying that Francine tried to kill me?" Lee asked.  
  
"I know, it doesn't seem very likely. But Miss Holt said to consider everyone," Amanda said. "So. How long until you can leave this place?"  
  
"Dr. Roselli said about two or three days, although I feel like leaving right now."  
  
"You need to get your rest, so I'll leave you alone," she said, about to get up. "Oh. Where is Mother?"  
  
"She said something about going to get dinner," Lee said.  
  
"Okay. I love you."  
  
4247 Maplewood Drive  
  
Friday, 9:15 pm Eastern time  
  
Amanda and Remington pulled into the driveway in Lee's Corvette. She had dialed Billy's number on the car phone and asked about Francine. He told her that she had been there from six to six. He wasn't sure about her nighttime schedule, although he thought that she had a hot new date, Tony.  
  
She parked in the garage, and they walked to the door. She unlocked it, and they went inside to find Emily in the kitchen. She were sitting on a stool at the island in the middle of the room.  
  
"Did you find out anything?" Emily asked.  
  
"Yes. The rolling pin in the apartment wasn't Lee's. We think that the attempted murderer may have bought one and put blood on it. Also, Francine has an alibi. At work for twelve hours, and with her new date, Tony, other times," Remington informed her.  
  
"Well, I guess that pretty much rules her out. Laura is in the dining room with her fingerprinting kit," Emily told them.  
  
Just then, Laura walked into the room with a solemn expression. "What did you find, Laura?" Remington asked her.  
  
"Something which I'm sure will be quite shocking to you also," Laura said.  
  
"Whose prints did you find?" Emily asked.  
  
"Most of them were only half of the print, so it was hard to determine whose those were. But one came out very clear," Laura sighed.  
  
"Whose print?" Amanda asked.  
  
"I'm afraid that it was yours', Amanda," Laura admitted.  
  
"Now we all know that Amanda did not try to kill her own husband. Amanda here wouldn't hurt a fly," Emily said. "I say she's been framed."  
  
"I wish I could agree," Remington said.  
  
"What do you mean?" Amanda questioned him. "You think I tried to kill him?"  
  
"Not personally. But listen to this. It all fits together so easily: Lee goes to the kitchen for a midnight snack. You are the only other human with his house key, so you could break in. You sneak up behind him with a rolling pin, and attempt to kill him," he said. "See what I mean? There were no other witnesses, your alibi is no good because you were alone. The police won't believe us."  
  
"But I would never do anything like that!" Amanda said. "Emily, may I speak to you, in the dining room?"  
  
"Certainly, dear," she said.  
  
The two women walked into the dining room. "Emily, you know that I wouldn't try to kill Lee."  
  
"I trust you, Amanda. Yes, I know that you would never do anything like this. My assumption is that the culprit lifted your prints off of something that you touched, and had them on a piece of glass. Then he put your fingerprint on the bought rolling pin and laid it and the broken glass and the milk in Lee's kitchen. But we'll have a hard time proving that..."  
  
"Unless this would work. The culprit had to pour out new milk on the floor, to make it look like it had been there since last Friday. But week old milk would probably smell by now, don't you agree?" Emily nodded. "That milk had no odor to it at all, meaning that someone recently had stopped by and done that."  
  
"But why Lee's apartment?" Emily asked.  
  
"Because the culprit might have left something here that he didn't want us to find! Something that would reveal his identity!" Amanda said.  
  
"Let's go check right now," Emily said. They burst into the kitchen, every move being watched by Remington and Laura.  
  
"What are you doing?" Laura asked. Amanda explained what she and Emily had just thought of. They agreed to help them look for evidence.  
  
"Aha!" Remington said, holding something in his hand.  
  
"What is it?" Amanda, Emily, and Laura asked at the same time.  
  
"Cigarette butt," he said.  
  
"Oh my gosh!" Amanda gasped. "Dr. Smyth!"  
  
"Let's not start jumping to conclusions," Laura said.  
  
"He doesn't have an alibi, he hates Lee, or he has always acted like it, and he smokes," Amanda said. "I don't smoke, Mother doesn't, Lee doesn't, so it would have to belong to an intruder; Dr. Smyth. He called us both traitors, so he thought he'd kill Lee and blame me for it. While we were at the hospital, he sneaked back here, and cleaned up the mess, and accidentally left a cigarette butt in the floor. He moved the broken glass to the apartment, poured fresh milk in the floor, planted my fingerprints on a rolling pin that he had bought, and didn't have enough time to get come back to get the cigarette butt."  
  
"Good thinking, Amanda!" Emily said, surprised at how fast Amanda said all that.  
  
"Thank you," she said. "I'm going back to the hospital to check on Lee. Emily? Will you dial Billy and see where Dr. Smyth has been the last few days?"  
  
"Of course," Emily said.  
  
"You can call at the hospital. Remington and I will take the Jeep, and you two can take the 'Vette," Laura said.  
  
Washington Memorial Hospital  
  
Friday, 9:57 pm Eastern time  
  
Emily headed for the payphone, and the other three continued to Lee's room, where Dotty sat reading a magazine. Amanda knocked on the door, and opened it after hearing Dotty say "Come in".  
  
"Oh, Amanda! I'm so..." Dotty's smile turned into a frown as Laura and Remington walked in the door. Remington and Laura talked at the same time.  
  
"Mother?!?"  
  
"Abigail?!?"  
  
"You know these people?" Amanda gasped.  
  
Dotty sank back into her chair. "Not him, but her. This is my niece, your cousin, Laura. She's my twin's daughter."  
  
"You have a twin?" Amanda asked, her eyes growing large.  
  
"Yes. Abigail and I were very close. Then she moved to Los Angeles to start a family and I stayed in Arlington. We never made much contact, but sent each other pictures of our children."  
  
"How come we never knew about this?" Laura questioned her.  
  
"We just couldn't bring ourselves to tell you," Dotty admitted.  
  
Suddenly, Emily walked up to the door. "Amanda, Billy said that Dr. Smyth had been at the agency all week except for he took an extra hour at his lunch break. I told him what we found, and he said that might be enough evidence, if the fingerprints come back as his."  
  
"That's great," Remington said.  
  
"Oh no, it's not," said a male voice. They looked to find Dr. Smyth pointing a gun at them. "I tried to kill Lee, and it looks like I may succeed, this time. I hate to do this, I really do."  
  
"Why do you want Lee dead?" Remington asked.  
  
"For turning an ordinary housewife into a spy. We don't need civilians to handle matters of national security. We need trained professionals. If Scarecrow is going to help us by bringing in housewives, then he'd be better off dead."  
  
"I don't understand," Laura said. "What do you mean 'spy'?"  
  
"I don't think you should know that right now. In fact, all..."  
  
"Drop it, Smyth!" said a voice from behind. He turned to find Billy and several other agents with guns aimed right at him.  
  
"I think it's time to say goodbye," Billy said. "You're coming with us." Just then, two uniformed policemen came up and handcuffed Dr. Smyth. They took him out of the building and into the police car.  
  
"How did you know that we would be held at gunpoint?" Amanda asked him, with a weak laugh.  
  
"Over the phone, I told Emily that I'd be on my way to the hospital," Billy said. "She mentioned that I should bring some of our men just in case something happened."  
  
"I see that Emily Farnsworth was right again," Amanda said.  
  
"Would someone please tell me what is going on?" Dotty asked, getting very agitated. "I haven't been told anything!"  
  
"Well, Mother. Maybe it's time for us to sit down and have a little talk," Amanda said.  
  
"I think so," Dotty agreed.  
  
  
  
4247 Maplewood Drive  
  
Monday, 9:53 am Eastern time  
  
Remington and Laura had gone back to Los Angeles, Emily had gone back to England, and Dr. Smyth was spending a few years in jail. Lee was resting, and the boys were at school. Amanda and Dotty had talked about a few things, and Amanda answered a few of Dotty's questions. She told her that they were married, but nothing about their jobs.  
  
"Well, I'm glad to know that," Dotty said smiling. "But I am shocked that you would keep your marriage a secret. Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"Believe me, Mother. It's for your own good," Amanda laughed, getting up to put her coffee mug in the sink. "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to go check on Mr. Stetson."  
  
Amanda ran upstairs to her bedroom where Lee was resting. She carefully closed and locked the door behind her.  
  
"It's me," she told him.  
  
"Hi," he said. She walked to where he was laying and kiss him lightly. She sat down on the bed beside him.  
  
"How are you feeling?"  
  
"Much better. Especially knowing that Dr. Smyth is in jail right now."  
  
"Yeah," she laughed. "Oh, there's something that I've been meaning to tell you."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It may come as a shock to you, though. So you better brace yourself."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Ready?"  
  
"Ready."  
  
"While you were unconscious, Dr. Roselli ran a pregnancy test. It came back positive."  
  
"So you're pregnant?" he asked, barely believing his ears.  
  
"What do you have to say about that?"  
  
"I love you, Mrs. Stetson,"  
  
"I love you too, Scarecrow."  
  
  
  
The End 


End file.
